harm reduction

Is California really that liberal ?

Two needle exchange activists in California have found themselves in court this week accused of operating an unlawful needle exchange service in the Modesto region of California. The two defendants, Kristy Tribuzio and Brian Robinson are part of an organisations called “off the streets” which seeks to prevent disease transmission through the sharing of dirty needles among drug users.

Liverpool and the Harm Reduction movement

Liverpool has been associated with drug-use since the 1980's, when it was estimated that around 20,000 users lived in the area at that time. As drug-use, in particular, heroin use became more common and visible, public health professionals have been looking for solutions to protect not only the users, but those in the surrounding communities and of society in general.

Letter calls for organisations to take responsibility for Maksim Popov

More than 100 Human Rights and HIV/AIDS organisations have supported a letter calling for the organisations that funded the activities that lead to the incarceration of Uzbek harm reduction activist Maksim Popov to take all possible steps to seek his release from prison.

Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now more than ever

This joint statement, endorsed by 650 organisations nationally and internationally from over 100 countries affirms that the full realizations of human rights should be at the center of the global struggle against HIV and AIDS.

Russia and Methadone

On paper, Maksim Popov looks like a modern day saint; Psychologist, HIV activist and head of Uzbekistan based NGO Izis. Yet reality sees him sentenced to seven years in prison for the promotion of (all those well-known sins) safe sex and attempting to prevent the spread of HIV. Ironically, thanks to Uzbekistan’s contradictory policies, he is now living amongst many of the people he was trying to help.

Hidden heroin epidemic in Russia

At a playground just off the busy Prospekt Mira thoroughfare in central Moscow, there aren't any children playing on the swings. The slide is covered in dirty snow, the sandpit is strewn with empty vodka bottles and, on close inspection, a few used syringes. Mothers whisper to each other that the playground is the home of narkomany – drug addicts – and wheel their pushchairs swiftly past.

Prison needle exchange pilot in Tajikistan

Tajikistan is about to introduce a pilot program on needle and syringe exchange programmes (NSEP) in its penitentiary system. Tajikistan will be the 2nd country in the region of Central Asia to provide NSEP together with Kyrgyzstan. Needle and syringe exchange programmes (NSEP) in penitentiary system proved their effectiveness by reducing the risk of contamination with HIV and hepatitis C among imprisoned injecting drug users who share needles and syringes.

Русский

Vancouver's safe injection site controversy

Which of these cities has a legal supervised injection site?

Budapest resigns from ECAD

The municipal government of Budapest admitted that it has been paying thousands of Euros every year since 1998 as a membership fee for a Stockholm-based prohibitionist organization, the European Cities Against Drugs (ECAD) – reported the Hungarian online newsportal.

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